Harry Redknapp encouraged Ange Postecoglou to ignore Mikey Moore's tender years and give the prodigy the chance to shine in Tottenham Hotspur's senior squad. The 16-year-old wonderkid turned heads with many promising performances during Spurs' pre-season.
He scored against Hearts and bagged the decisive goal in an exciting 3-2 win against Vissel Kobe. Moore also impressed while playing for England U17s, contributing four goals and an assist in four appearances at the UEFA EURO U-17 competition.
Although there's a buzz around Moore's burgeoning talent, thrusting him into the Premier League will require some bravery from Postecoglou. However, Redknapp believes if the Australian truly rates the youngster, he should not be afraid of deploying him in the first team.
While speaking to Football London, Redknapp, who was in Portsmouth to visit Kellogg's Football Camps – a UK-wide summer football programme for local kids – said: "If he's good enough, stick him in.
"The kid who played for Spain in the European Championship final (Lamine Yamal) was only 16. We've had Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole, they all came in the team around that age. If he's as good as everyone thinks he is, hopefully we will see him in the first team this year."
Moore has already broken records at Tottenham, becoming their youngest Premier League player when he came on againstt Manchester City last year. Postecoglou also made it clear that his next role is to ensure the environment is right for Moore to build on the momentum he accrued in the summer.
In a press conference, the Australian said: "In coaching terms and working with young players, the most important thing is the environment you set up for them and what they came into.
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"That means the moment they come into the dressing room, the kind of dressing room you have with the senior players and the way we train and the way we talk.
"We try to teach them as much about life as we do about football because obviously for a lot of them and you mention Mikey Moore, he's only 16. He's got so much growth as a footballer but also as a person.
"We try to provide the environment which allows him to be the best that he can be and then it's up to the player. Once you provide that environment it's up to the player to keep driving on and not be satisfied."
Redknapp was at a Kellogg’s Football Camps session in Portsmouth. The fun-filled camps are operating nationwide this summer for kids aged 5-15, with 73 locations around the UK as Kellogg’s keeps kids active and entertained during the school holidays thanks to partnerships with the EFL, Manchester City, Celtic, and Rangers. Parents can still sign kids up for their local camp by heading to the Kellogg’s Football Camps website. 30,000 free spaces are being offered throughout the summer, which can be redeemed using code 4567 until 16 August at kelloggsfc.com.